As an Engineering Design Coach, you will gain valuable teaching experience while sharing your passions and knowledge with new engineering students.
As an EDC, you would be developing and teaching your workshops based on your interests, skills, and desire to learn. You will have the opportunity to learn how to use the equipment in the makerspaces and can incorporate them into your workshop, or you can develop a workshop that doesn’t use those tools at all. There is no previous equipment or teaching experience required to be an EDC!
By serving as an EDC, you will be able to expose engineering undeclared students to new skills and ideas while simultaneously developing leadership skills such as lesson planning, public speaking, and collaboration. You will also receive credit for successfully completing the training course in spring and a scholarship.
ENGR 106 is a CR/NC class that focuses on serving first-year ENGRUD students. It uses a hands-on approach to teach students fundamental skills they will be able to apply in their future as engineers and their lives in general. Designed as a build-your-own-adventure style class, students select workshops they would like to attend from the course schedule. Students then attend their chosen workshop and complete a minor homework assignment that allows them to practice the skills they learned in the workshop.
The workshops offered to the students are a combination of EDC-created workshops and workshops developed by departments within the UW College of Engineering. Students are required to attend and complete assignments for a specific number of workshops in order to receive credit for the class.
The EDC program is a year + one-quarter long experience that begins spring quarter the year you apply and are accepted into the program. That spring, you will attend a leadership class to develop essential leadership skills and develop your first workshop based on your skills and interests. It’s ok if you don’t know anything about the equipment in our makerspaces, we will teach you!
Come fall quarter of the next academic year, you will begin teaching the workshop you designed in spring to the ENGR 106 students. Workshops will be taught weekly, with scheduling and material ordering all done by the EDC program management team. As the year progresses, you will be encouraged to learn another EDCs workshop or develop a new workshop of your own so you can continue to learn about our equipment, practice your lesson planning and teaching skills, and remain engaged throughout the year.
Each quarter, there will be up to two or three additional trainings that you will be required to attend. At these trainings we will offer additional leadership curriculum and professional development seminars, as well as allowing you to bond and work with your fellow EDCs to improve your workshops. Trainings will be scheduled a quarter in advance to provide ample planning time.
Prepare course materials
- Choose a workshop topic that interests you and develop a curriculum
- Develop lesson plans and supplemental materials
- Design homework assignments that build on lessons learned in the workshop
- Work with fellow EDCs to create a robust curriculum that connects with and builds off the work of your peers
- Prepare for ENGR 106 workshops
Facilitate
- Lead meaningful activities designed to further student learning
- Teach students how to use maker space tools, hand tools, and software
- Record students’ participation and attendance using Canvas
- Provide thoughtful feedback on student work
Mentor
- Guide students through the process of learning new skills and applying them in a variety of environments
- Empower students to use their creativity and skills in projects
- Support students’ exploration of engineering disciplines and applications
- Share personal experience as an engineering student
- Help connect students to university resources
Collaborate with ENGR 106 teaching team
- Meet with EDC program director, teaching assistants, and fellow EDCs each quarter you serve as an EDC
- Communicate frequently with the program director and teaching assistants about any student issues or workshop concerns.
Serve as a member of the EDC team
- Actively engage in all EDC trainings and meetings
- Collaborate with program director, instructional technician, and teaching assistants
- Share thoughts and ideas about the ENGR 106 course design
- Build relationships with fellow EDCs
- Utilize fellow EDCs as resources
As a result of serving as an EDC, you will be able to:
- Build effective relationships with people from varying backgrounds
- Communicate effectively through a variety of modes (email, public speaking, Canvas)
- Develop greater confidence as a leader on campus
- Support engineering undeclared and non-STEM students in their exploration of engineering topics through experiential learning
- Create an engaging workshop experience that contributes to students’ achievement of the ENGR 106 learning outcomes.
- Value an intentional exploration and discernment process
Attendance at all EDC meetings, trainings, and ENGR 106 workshops is mandatory. Dates and times are subject to change.
Winter 2025
- Attend the EDC Orientation: Wednesday, March 5, 2025, from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. in Oak Hall
Spring 2025
- Participate fully in the ELE Retreat, April 5, 2025
- Register and earn credit for ENGR 490: Engineering Leadership. In this class, you will receive training on transition theory, public speaking, discussion facilitation, lesson plan development, and leadership
- Friday, 3:30 - 4:50 p.m.
- Your schedule must accommodate the class times to be able to participate in the program
- EDC check-in #1: Individual meeting with Program Advisor and Teaching Team to articulate your goals for the upcoming year
Summer 2025
- Continue to revise workshop lesson plans and train on equipment as needed
Fall 2025
- Attend the EDC program pre-quarter training: Monday, September 22, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Facilitate weekly iterations of the workshop you designed during the spring/summer
- EDC check-in #2: Individual meeting with program advisor and teaching team to gauge progress on goals set in the Spring
- Attend at least one EDC recruitment event/activity
- Attend mid-quarter training: tentatively set for Friday, October 24, 2025, from 4:00-8:00 p.m.
- Attend the end-of-quarter wrap-up: tentatively set for Friday, November 21, 2025, it will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Winter 2026
- Facilitate weekly iterations of the workshop you designed during spring and summer OR the workshop you cross-trained on during the fall
- Develop a second workshop of your own for use in spring quarter OR cross train on another EDC’s workshop to teach in spring quarter
- EDC check-in #3: Individual meeting with program adviser and teaching team to gauge progress on goals set in Spring/Fall and develop new plans as needed
- Attend at least one EDC recruitment event/activity
- Assist with the selection of new EDCs (returning EDCs only)
- Attend mid-quarter training: tentatively set for Friday, February 6, 2026, hold 4:00-8:00 p.m.
- Attend end-of-quarter wrap-up: tentatively set for Friday, March 6, 2026, hold 4:00-8:00 p.m.
Spring 2026
- Facilitate weekly iterations of the workshop(s) you have developed or cross-trained on
- EDC check-in #4: Individual meeting with Program Advisor and Teaching Team to gauge progress on goals set in Spring/Fall/Winter. Identify progress and apply experience to future goals
- Attend mid-quarter training: tentatively set for Friday, April 24, 2026, hold 4:00-8:00 p.m.
- Attend ELE End-of-Year Celebration: Time and date TBA
- Complete EDC final reflection